The Royal Air Force's ground-fighting force has opened to women for the first time, making it the first branch of the British military to open every role to female service personnel. Applications from women to join the RAF Regiment will now be accepted after the ban in close combat roles was lifted.

The lifting of the ban on women serving in close combat units was announced by David Cameron, the then Prime Minister, in 2016 after service chiefs unanimously backed the move. Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon announced in July that the RAF Regiment would be open to women from September ahead of the original 2018 schedule, saying: "A diverse force is a more operationally effective force."

The 2,000-strong RAF Regiment's main role is to patrol and protect RAF bases and airfields.

Women have already been allowed to serve in close combat roles in the Royal Armoured Corps, but it will be another year before they can seek to enter the Royal Marines, which has tougher physical demands.